Government

The S.C. House voted Tuesday to overturn Gov. Henry McMaster’s veto that stopped the use of $20.5 million in S.C. Education Lottery money to replace some of the state’s oldest school buses.
“It seems like a no-brainer,” said Rep. Mandy Powers Norrell of Lancaster, a Democrat from District 44. “Our school buses are dangerous. We have buses that have been on the road since 1995, and the model and age put them at severe risk for catching fire.
“I have no idea why Gov. McMaster would’ve vetoed it,” she added.

First-term Republican Rep. Brandon Newton is running again for his District 45 seat in the S.C. House.
“Even though it seems like only yesterday that I was sworn into office, it is time to begin looking toward June and November,” Newton said Monday.
Newton was recently appointed to the Education and Public Works Committee and still serves on the Regulations and Administrative Procedures Committee.

Lancaster zeros in on infrastructure, finances
With the close of another year, the City of Lancaster is still facing major issues that will transition in to the coming 2018-year, and possibly further.
Problems regarding infrastructure, the budget, public safety and economic development are at the forefront of city concerns.
One of the priorities the continued focus on wastewater infrastructure and sewer lines.

The county is on the verge of extending its current fee-in-lieu of taxes (FILOT) agreement with Founders Federal Credit Union, though one councilman remains apprehensive about the proposal.
“If we do it for one, we should do it for any of ’em,” said Lancaster County Councilman Jack Estridge, noting the extension could set a precedent.
Estridge voted to approve the first two readings, but said he remains unsure about how the county will benefit from the extension.

T.T. Barnes was a true legend.
The no-nonsense black educator and community leader died Friday. Born in Lancaster, Barnes was 92 years old.
Barnes, who saw the best in all children, had a local reputation for getting opposing parties to talk and iron out their differences, said Lancaster County Councilwoman Charlene McGriff.
“Whenever something happened and you needed someone to bring people together, Mr. Barnes was the one who could do it. He will surely be missed,” said McGriff.

State House Rep. Mandy Powers Norrell (D-Lancaster) has proposed changing the current municipal election law regarding contested elections.
The proposal came during a regular, joint House Legislative Oversight Committee meeting Dec. 19, where all four subcommittees met to discuss each subcommittee’s respective state agency. Norrell is on the Economic Development and Environmental Subcommittee.

Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday declared the opioid epidemic a state emergency, ordered limits on opioid prescriptions for Medicaid recipients and participants in the State Health Plan, and pushed legislation restricting sales more broadly.
The governor’s action follows a huge spike in opioid-overdose deaths across the state, and comes two weeks after President Trump declared a public health emergency nationwide.
Lancaster County has recorded 25 opioid-related deaths this year, a fivefold increase over last year.

City council voted unanimously Tuesday night to award the West Arch Street and Poovey Farm sewer project segments to North American Pipeline Management.
The company’s bid was the lowest at just over $1.7 million, and it comes in around $900,000 less than the estimated cost of the project.

City council got into a testy debate this week regarding the city’s on-call labor attorney – an issue they had discussed six days earlier in executive session at a special called meeting.
No one would say specifically what the issue is with Mike Malone, the Columbia lawyer who has worked for the city on employment matters for 25 years, but communication was the general concern.

Former House Majority Leader Rick Quinn Jr. pleaded guilty to official corruption Tuesday, after resigning from the S.C. House an hour before the hearing.
The Lexington Republican pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of misconduct in office.
First Circuit Solicitor and Special Prosecutor David Pascoe asked for the maximum sentence allowed, one year in prison, arguing that Quinn committed the worst crimes uncovered so far in the ongoing legislative corruption investigation.